Software vendors, and particularly vendors of computer security software, data, definitions, etc., typically from time to time have a need to distribute updates to users. For example, a vendor of a software application may become aware of a vulnerability or other defect and may desire to distribute to users an update or “patch” to eliminate the vulnerability or other defect. Similarly, security software vendors, such as vendors of anti-virus software, have a need to periodically provide users with updated virus and/or other threat definitions and/or signatures, so that their programs will detect more recently released and/or identified threats. A problem arises, however, when numerous users desire to download an update at the same time, because the vendor typically has limited processing capacity and communication bandwidth available to service requests for the update. In some cases, an update server established by the vendor may itself become the target of an attack seeking to deny users access to the update. The lack of more immediate access to the update may in some cases leave at least some users vulnerable to attack for a longer period, potentially resulting in a higher degree of network-wide exploitation of a vulnerability or other defect than would have occurred had updates been distributed more quickly and/or efficiently. In some cases, a vendor may wish to discriminate between users, e.g., by ensuring that users that paid for a premium version of the software and/or paid a premium for quicker access to updates, are served more quickly, or at least as quickly, as other users. Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient way to distribute software updates, such as patches and security threat definition updates, including a way to ensure that favored users have reasonably and/or relatively quick access to updates.